EDITORIAL: 5 topics to help usher February into March

On Bittner's resignation, MacFarlane at the Oscars, dressing up and going out, Pinterest, and Golden Eagle men's basketball...

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By Times Staff

Crookston Times - Crookston, MN

By Times Staff

Posted Feb. 25, 2013 at 1:04 PM
Updated Feb 25, 2013 at 1:07 PM

By Times Staff

Posted Feb. 25, 2013 at 1:04 PM
Updated Feb 25, 2013 at 1:07 PM

Crookston

Praise for Bittner's work

Saturday night, longtime Pirate varsity boys’ hockey coach Jon Bittner made an announcement that some figured he would be making at the end of the season: He’s resigning from coaching after 39 years, most of them in Crookston. Many figured this might be the year, what with Bittner’s middle son, Ryan, set to graduate this spring, and Bittner’s youngest son, would-be sophomore Paul, playing hockey in Oregon. With Bittner, whether his team’s struggled or were legitimate section title contenders, you always knew that the public face of the Pirate hockey team was going to be positive and gracious. He was quick to give credit where credit was due, even if it was due to an opponent that simply beat his Pirate team fair and square. And Bittner was quick to praise 100 percent effort put in by his players. Did the Pirates make the state tournament under Bittner? No, they didn’t, so that epic quest continues. But they played hard, and they played the game as best they could, the right way.

Good reviews for MacFarlane’s performance as host

There have been Oscars hosts who have made the televised film awards show better, or worse, or neither. Sunday night, first-time host Seth MacFarlane made the telecast better, and he deserves positive reviews for his efforts. MacFarlane, known most for his animated creation “Family Guy”, played nice when he needed to play nice, and twisted the knife a little bit when it needed to be twisted a little bit. And when he ripped off punchlines that elicited groans from the audience, he always had a quick quip in his back pocket to lighten the moment and, most importantly, he moved on in rapid fashion. Even the jokes and skits that might have been considered most controversial, MacFarlane, through a bit with William Shatner that involved Star Trek’s Captain Kirk coming back from the future, was able to essentially tape the bits beforehand with various actors and actresses, which secured their buy-in. It was a great effort that MacFarlane made look largely effortless. And the guy can sing, too.

Enough with all the casual

On Sunday night, the Eagles Club here in Crookston held an Academy Awards viewing party. There was delicious food, prizes and fun had by all who came. The best part was that those who attended dressed up fancy. It was great that they got into the spirit of what the party was intending (there should be more of these parties, by the way, since people clearly enjoy them). We should dress up more. You don't see as much of it these days. People dress casual at semi-formal dances, wear shorts to weddings and jeans to church, which is disrespectful. It's not all that often you have an opportunity to strut your best. It's not like you have to spend all day in them, especially if you're not the one putting the event on. A couple of hours in black pants or a dress/skirt is not going to kill you. Live a little.

Page 2 of 2 - -Amanda Wagner, Times intern

Pinterest, yes, but some DIY, too

Pinterest.com– It’s an addiction for many women and surprisingly some men as well. You can find an idea for just about anything your heart desires, from baking and crafting ideas to information on how to take great photos and repair leaky faucets. It is incredibly tempting to “pin” multitudes of ideas onto one of your virtual bulletin boards with the utmost intent of attempting a DIY project as soon as you get some free time. However, if you are like many Pinterest fans, you never find the time to actually “git r done.” Rather than idly dream about the fantasy world where you are the queen (or king) of the do-it-yourselfers, set a goal to complete at least one of your “pins” each month. You’ll feel a sense of accomplishment and have something cool to show and tell your friends about.

Golden Eagle men show the way: Anything is possible

There are few words that can adequately describe UMC Men's Basketball's win over St. Cloud State Friday in Crookston. "Shocking" is about the best word to describe. It not only snapped a 20-game losing streak for the Golden Eagles, it was the program's first ever win against St. Cloud State. The Golden Eagle women also upset St. Cloud State Friday. Both teams hold the final seed in the North half of the NSIC Tournament and both face the top teams in the South Wednesday. Nobody expects UMC to win either game so why not go out there and pull off another crazy, shocking upset. March Madness started early this year with UMC's big win on Friday. Will it continue to Wednesday? Why not?